The recession may have officially ended in June 2009, but times are still tough for many folks throughout the Hudson Valley. Unemployment remains high, housing prices are low, and the wild spending sprees of the 1990s seem like ancient history. But just because you are pinching pennies, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the finer things in life. So from hip consignment shops to budget Broadway shows to daring dining deals, here’s our guide to champagne living on a beer budget. You’ll never pay full price again!

The heart of every home is the kitchen. This month, two local architects open their doors to show us kitchen renovations done in their own homes — one an 18th-century house, the other a riverside contemporary